JLR DEALERS ‘FLABBERGASTED’ BY PLAN TO AXE LAND ROVER BRAND

Car dealers from the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) retail network have been left “flabbergasted” by the Indian-owned carmaker’s new plan to axe its 75-year-old Land Rover brand.

Tata Automotive’s British OEM revealed yesterday (April 19) that it would ditch the Land Rover name for its range of 4x4 models, instead focussing on Jaguar, Range Rover, Defender, Discovery as part of its new House of Brands retail and marketing strategy.

It will also officially switch its official company branding to ‘JLR’, to remove reference to Land Rover, as part of a move which will spark corporate identity changes in dealerships across the UK which had been subject to a £1 billion Arch Concept corporate identity (CI) transformation in recent years.

The changes come as the OEM prepares to roll-out agency model retail and were met by incredulous response from retailers.

A statement issued to AM by JLR this week said the "spirit" of Land Rover would live on. It said: "We want to reassure clients that Land Rover will remain the trust mark that underpins the world-leading capability offered across Range Rover, Defender and Discovery vehicles, building on 75 years of technological and engineering expertise.

"As a House of Brands, Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar, now step forward as individual marques, projecting their individual purpose, desirability, and personality. Under this approach, we will amplify the unique character of each of the